Down Below

Of course I was not familiar with the 2024 horror movie "Down Below" prior to sitting down and watching it here in 2024. Of course I would watch it, given my life-long romance with the horror genre.

But I have to say that seeing Eric Roberts listed at the first name on the cover was not exactly thrilling, as I am not really much of a fan of his. But at least the movie also had Doug Jones and Bai Ling listed on the cover.

Writer, director and star Spyder Dobrofsky put together a script that proved very, very disjointed. The narrative was all over the place, without ever really going anywhere. And that made for a confusing and somewhat boring viewing experience. At an hour into the 93 minute runtime, I still didn't really know what writer and director Spyder Dobrofsky was trying to accomplish with this movie, nor what the core of the story was about.

The acting performances in the movie were okay. Bai Ling managed to spruce up the movie with her performance.

But you know that a movie that is starring, written and directed by one and the same guy usually isn't going to be a stellar viewing experience. And "Down Below" was no different.

If you enjoy horror movies, don't waste 93 minutes on watching "Down Below". Some of us suffered through this ordeal, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome. While I managed to suffer through this movie, I can honestly say that I wasn't entertained, nor will I ever return to watch it a second time.

My rating of "Down Below" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It's clear that the director (who very foolishly cast himself in the main role even though he absolutely cannot act) clearly thinks he is a new David Lynch. He very much is not. The script is terrible and overacted; the cinematography is pedestrian and looks like a teenager filmed it and thought it was deep. No one does a good job acting in this, and for some of their sake's (how did this happen, Doug Jones?!), I hope I am the last person to ever watch this. The story is disjointed without the connective tissue of a Lynch film. I can find no rhyme or reason for the bleached out filter throughout the film. And who financed this? Why?

I am furious that I paid to watch this on Prime. The high rating here is clearly due to friends of the filmmakers writing fluff to combat the lower scores. The same is happening on Rotten Tomatoes-no real reviewers even saw this film.

My only guess here is that Dobrofsky thinks himself far smarter than he is. He should really reevaluate his professional choices.

"Down Below" is a horror gem! It's got a killer cast for the genre, spooky small-town vibes, and a plot that keeps you guessing. Eric Roberts and Bai Ling crush it as always, but it's Alexis Knapp's gritty performance that steals the show.

Also Mr. Monday is one of the most unpredictable villains I've seen in a long time, not the classic Jason knock-off we've been accustomed to 100 times over! If you know you know.

The whole film is eerie and actually original-a rare find in horror these days.

Plus, it's only 90 minutes long! Finally a movie that knows how to pack a punch without dragging on endlessly for hours like so many 3+ hour sagas lately.

Perfect scary movie for a spooky fall night. Spooky is too cute of a word for the night that fits this film, but you get it. Watched it on a night where the fog took over my neighborhood and I did not sleep well that night. Nightmare fuel for someone who grew up in church. Would recommend as a good add for your Halloween movie list, and even for those who like a scary Christmas. On top of being doing its job scaring me-the acting and cast is so good. What a good cast to put together. They all deliver the movie well and when I was scared or hiding my eyes, I very much enjoyed watching what was on screen.

So happy to see low\mid budget horror making a comeback! The movie was a little disjointed and abrupt, but that's a subjective thing that I don't love, and has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. Story was good, acting was good, production was good. Definitely would recommend every and any horror fan to give it a watch! My grandson (13) loved it and wanted an immediate rewatch. I thoroughly enjoyed it it, and plan a second watch over the weekend when I can sit and really immerse myself in the experience. Horror fans (and honestly any indie movie fans) should definitely give it a watch!